Is there a dependence between children's body weight and the concentration of metals in deciduous teeth?

Abstract

Malnutrition, manifested by both overweight and underweight, can lead to serious health consequences. The subject of the study was to determine the concentration of elements such as chromium (Cr), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in children's deciduous teeth in relation to their body weight. The calculated body mass index (BMI) values and an application of the growth chart showed that 59% of children among the studied sample had normal weight. In 41% of children, weight disorders were observed including underweight - 28% and overweight - 12%. Median concentration of metals in deciduous teeth was: 3.79μgMn/g, 52.2μgFe/g, 4.73μgCu/g, 10.7μgCr/g, 36.1%Ca/g. There were no statistically significant differences in the concentration of the studied metals in the teeth of children with normal and abnormal body weight. However, the dependence between the metals in teeth varied with the children's weight. This may suggest changes in the mineral composition of tissues that are associated with metabolic disorders.